I think out loud on Substack.
Regular writing.
Clear thinking.
No algorithm games.
What I write about
Authority & Visibility
How professionals build real credibility.
Why the best experts stay invisible and what to do about it.
Culture & Employeeship
What actually makes people care.
Why advocacy programs fail, and the concept that changes how you think about your team.
Sales & Trust
How to earn the right to a conversation before you ask for one.
Why the lowest-risk seller wins every time.
Latest articles
- Don’t take the bike away!
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-04-03 at 08:10A BMX, two scraped knees, and the one thing most advocacy programs get wrong
- I use AI for everything
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-03-27 at 11:10Except the part that matters most.
- Why we built VIBE
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-03-20 at 11:25The framework for advocacy programs that actually last.
- The Advocacy program that failed had everything!
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-03-13 at 11:25Except for one thing.
- Your backstory is worth more than any Prompt Template!
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-03-06 at 11:10Why your combined expertise and experience are your key to success in the AI world
- You don’t need to go viral. You need to be the obvious choice.
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-02-06 at 11:30In 2016, I bought a personal development course for €497.
- The genius in the wrong room
by Martijn Holtes on 2026-01-29 at 09:55Why your value isn’t about quality it’s about context
New thinking every week
Authority, sales, and the culture questions most people aren’t asking yet.